Paris: A city of absurdity, seven decades in the making

Tourists of the city will be taken aback by some of what they see or hear. Warnings of pickpockets ring loud in their ears around the clock, as they wonder whether this is the same city they had romanticised in their dreams.

One starts to debate whether the Paris Syndrome is, in fact, real – that sense of disappointment that washes over you when you visit the city and realise it's nothing like the glorious image you'd concocted of it.

The only way to overcome the culture shock, in my eyes, is to live in the city for a few months – even years.

Only then would you see the true face of homelessness. In Paris, many are forced into homelessness with no other viable choice. Others engage with it intentionally – choosing homelessness as their lifestyle.

They refuse to work or even register in social welfare and healthcare communities to receive aid, instead preferring to live in the streets and sleep in alleys or public parks.

Metro stations keep their gates open in winter to accommodate those seeking refuge from the freezing temperatures outside. Some years ago, local municipalities also opened their doors to the homeless and vagabonds during the cold season.

It's not unusual to find someone laying in a sleeping bag on the streets of Paris after quarrelling with the police and rejecting their offer to take him or her to a shelter with better accommodation.

Last November, the death of a famous local homeless man called Pierre de l'Opera in the French city of Limoges sent shockwaves through social media.

The handsome black man, known to ask passers-by for a mere 2 Euros to buy a pie or a beer, often had wise conversations with strangers. He was a self-proclaimed writer, though my search for evidence of that claim yielded no results.

He was, indeed, a musician. He played on a public piano inside a metro station – ranked the most beautiful among all stations in France. Online, his music turned him into a TikTok sensation.

On the day Pierre de l'Opera died, the city showed up in droves. They gathered at his usual spot and celebrated the kind-hearted man whose simple wishes they always tried to fulfil. They lit vigil candles and wrote goodbye notes.

Yet this heartwarming farewell is only one part of a rather complicated full picture.

Sweeping protests

Homelessness in France remains a clear sign of inequity, poverty, and absurdity. But it is only one of many signs of this absurdity.

After all, it's not the homeless who take part in the violent protests that sweep through French cities whenever an opportunity arises.

Whether it's the Yellow Vests Protests or the 2023 French pension reform unrest, or the otherwise popular rallies and parades like national celebrations, union gatherings, or even football crowds, vandalisation, looting, and fires have become a French trademark.

A British woman once told the press that she envies her southern neighbours for the "vividness" of their demonstrations and their constant readiness to riot.

One of the many possible reasons for the absurd aspect of French protests is the increasing solidarity among marginalised communities in French suburban regions.

Most members of these communities hold gruelling, inferior jobs, leading to the prevalence of drug trafficking and theft in their neighbourhoods.

Easily aggravated by the police, they play a major role in these protests, awaiting the chance to take to the streets and fight back.

Taking no interest in Paris as the city of perfumes and art, or the home of the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower, these communities care only about survival – whatever the means or cost.

In a manner reminiscent of Jean Genet's play "The Maids," where one housemaid accidentally kills another, who dons the mask of their mistress and mimics her character, the people of Paris transform the Theatre of the Absurd into a tangible reality. Their actions draw the attention of countless TV viewers to the scenes they create.

Meanwhile, the actual Theatre of the Absurd struggles to attract audiences, as comedic stand-up performances on various platforms gain more popularity, ones that use blunt, flagrant language that is still uncommon in conventional theatre.

But it seems that either way, those in Paris have a free ticket to absurdity every day, just outside their doorstep.